lunes, diciembre 10, 2007

Spain plans to give people grants to make their homes more environmentally-friendly, the prime minister said on Monday, a sign the government wants to push the green issue ahead of March's general election.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Monday said the Socialist government would hand out 1 billion euros ($1.47 billion) in direct subsidies to renovate old, energy-inefficient homes in 2008-2012, 200 million euros more than previously announced.

It will also offer another 2 billion euros in credit every year to help Spaniards make their homes between 35 and 60 percent more energy efficient. Homeowners will receive an energy certificate to show that would boost the property's value because energy bills would be cut, he said.

Zapatero has vowed to make the environment a priority in the next legislature if the Socialists win what is expected to be a tight election early next year.

"All the lights are flashing red. We are at the point of no return. I ask all citizens to act with urgency and to put this country at the forefront of the challenge to fight climate change," Zapatero told a news conference in Madrid.